Sunset.
The fourth straight sunny day—but much nippier than the last three. Not much wind, but nearly twenty degrees (F) colder, I bet, than yesterday. I’d thought I’d go out cycling anyway, but the day soon became busier than usual, and time slipped away.
Moonlight sail.
Late in the day, Jack and I did take a quick trip to do errands. On our way, i saw plenty of gulls, crows—and a large flock of geese in a field alongside Old County Road. Then we headed to Beech Hill.
Got there later than on recent days, and the sun was close to setting. Still, before walking more than a couple paces, I counted blue jay, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow-rump, robin, and hairy woodpecker. I glanced at the sun as we climbed the first rise and found it hanging behind a crazy swirl of clouds above the Rockville Ridge.
We met a number of hikers this evening with (oddly) at least four black dogs. Heard a crow about half-way up, then caught sight of a song sparrow. Once we reached the summit, I had an idea of why at least some of my fellow humans had converged on the hill just then: the full moon had just lifted off from behind Mount Desert Island across the bay. Conveniently, for me, a sailing vessel was passing up the bay at just that moment. I grabbed a couple photos.
Returning, we met more people ascending. We also met about three or four dozen crows that had convened a meeting down the southern slope a ways. They took flight at our approach. Finally, back at the parking lot, I heard the chip! of a cardinal coming from the trees above us.
Sarah didn’t come with me today. She had some stuff to do before her trip home in the morning. I’m so happy to have had her around for a while. (Jack, I know, is too.)
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 5:15 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. Blue jay
2. White-breasted nuthatch (voice)
3. Yellow-rumped warbler
4. American robin (voice)
5. Hairy woodpecker (voice)
6. American crow
7. Black-capped chickadee
8. Song sparrow
9. Northern cardinal (voice)
Elsewhere
10. House sparrow
11. Tufted titmouse
12. Herring gull
13. Canada goose
October landscape.
Tags: American crow, American robin, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, Canada goose, hairy woodpecker, herring gull, house sparrow, northern cardinal, song sparrow, tufted titmouse, white-breasted nuthatch, yellow-rumped warbler
